Brigandi, Dolphins end Skyhawks' title bid
Hannah Anderson led the Skyhawks with three goals in the defeat. |
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (May 7, 2011) – Third-seeded Stonehill College, currently ranked seventh in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II national poll, fell to second-seeded and second-ranked Le Moyne College 15-7 in the semifinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship on Saturday.
Le Moyne (17-1, 11-1 NE-10) advances to Sunday's championship game to face top-seeded and top-ranked Adelphi University. Stonehill (15-4, 10-2 NE-10) will await word on a possible NCAA Tournament bid when they are announced during Sunday night's selection show on ncaa.com.
Le Moyne junior Brittany Brigandi (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy/UMass) led all scorers with five goals and an assist as the Dolphins built up a 12-2 advantage in the first half. Senior Hannah Anderson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) scored three times for Stonehill and sophomore Heather Sullivan (Andover, Mass./Andover) added two goals.
Junior Kelly Fucillo (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) and sophomore Rebecca Moore (Marlborough, Mass./St. Mark's School) each made six saves as the Dolphins outshot Stonehill 30-21 overall.
Brigandi scored all five of her goals in the first half as Le Moyne dominated at the outset, limiting Stonehill to a pair of goals on just nine shots. Anderson netted her first of the day to bring the Skyhawks within 4-2 in the seventh minute, but Le Moyne closed the half on an 8-0 scoring run to take a 10-goal lead at halftime.
Stonehill regrouped for five goals in the second half to the Dolphins' three, as Anderson put away two more and Sullivan and sophomores Kelsey Reilly (Hingham, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) and Jessica Guisti (Walpole, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) each tallied one. After Le Moyne sophomore Kelly Condon (Victor, N.Y./Canandaigua) sank a free position shot with ten minutes remaining, the Skyhawks held Le Moyne scoreless over the final minutes, but could not overcome the Dolphins' early lead as the clock wound down.
